Video: Fisker Karma Test Drive

You have to admit that the Karma, Henrik Fisker’s extended-range electric sports sedan with a celebrity clientele and 3,000 firm orders, has already had its fair share of coverage on this site. And that’s before it even goes on sale.

However, Fisker’s $100,000 sedan is an intriguing car. Not just for its sensual lines, the gorgeous interior or the way it is promoted, but because it promises to deliver a supercar experience the “green way”.
That is by combining two electric motors in the rear and a turbocharged gasoline 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine up front, which charges the batteries acting as a range extender, further enhancing the Karma's performance and range.
Fisker Santa Monica published a video on Youtube showing Kyle, one of its salesmen, taking the Karma out for a quick spin around the streets of LA and explaining its functions as he would do in any regular customer (of course celebs will probably receive a better treatment…). So watch past the jump to see what a test drive in a Karma looks like.

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Evatran Presents Wireless Charging Station for Electric Vehicles!!!

Plug-in hybrids seem to be all the rage these days, from Chevrolet’s Volt to Nissan’s Leaf and the soon to be launched in the U.S. market, Toyota Prius Plug-In. And there are many more vehicles capable of running on electric power to follow.

However, their owners must not forget to charge them, usually overnight, or they’ll wake up next morning and discover they’ve run out of electric juice. In addition, they need to know their way around with the charging cords –not an easy task as any computer geek knows very well.
Evatran says it has the perfect solution for this problem: it’s called Plugless Power and it is a wireless charging system for EVs that is very simple to use (according to the company, that is). Evatron claims it can easily be installed in your garage and requires no serious modifications to the car itself other than a 10-pound adapter bolted to the undercarriage.
Here’s how the Evatran wireless system works:

Plugless Power recognizes your EV as it approaches and provides parking guidance.

Once the car is over the parking pad, the system communicates with your EV based on the SAE J1772 protocol used in corded systems, and automatically starts charging.

The indicator panel communicates charging status.

When your car is fully charged, the system turns off. And if you need to leave before charging is complete, simply back up and charging stops.

You can still use your normal plug-in system when you are away from home.

Evatran is cooperating with automakers to make the Plugless Power system available as a dealer option on new EVs or as a retrofit to existing vehicles. Demo systems are already available to them for testing performance and functionality.
For new cars, the price of the system can be incorporated in the vehicle’s price or lease scheme. Moreover, Evatran promises that within 24 hours of ordering, you will be contacted to arrange an appointment for the installation.

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2013 BMW i3 Concept

The car we originally came to know as the Megacity Vehicle was officially revealed today as the BMW i3 Concept ahead of its 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show debut and less than two years before it goes on sale in 2013.
The new i3 along with the i8 sports coupe concept (we'll have more on that in a bit) that was also shown today, are the first vehicles of BMW's new i sub-brand with which the Bavarian company plans to sell a range of environmental-friendly hybrids, pure-electric and range-extended cars.
The upcoming i3 will be BMW's first ever mass produced all-electric model. The five-door hatchback rides on a new dedicated architecture named "LifeDrive".
The chassis is made mostly from aluminum while the body structure from CFRP (carbonfibre reinforced plastic). BMW says that CFRP is at least as strong as steel, but roughly 50 per cent lighter, adding that by comparison, aluminum would save “only” 30 per cent in weight over steel.
For its motivation, the i3 relies on an electric motor that resides over the rear axle and drives the rear wheels. It's an improved version of the electric motor found on the MINI E prototype and it generates an output of 170-horses (125 kW) and 250 Nm (184 lb.ft) allowing the i3 to accelerate from 0 to 60 km/h (37 mph) in under four seconds and from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than eight seconds.
The single-speed gearbox allows the i3 Concept to reach an electronically governed 150 km/h (93 mph). BMW says that without the speed governor the driving range would be "unnecessarily restricted".
The power to drive the electric motor is provided by a set of lithium-ion batteries with a liquid-cooling system that are mounted within the central section of the floor. They can be fully recharged in six hours using a standard power socket. If a high-speed charger is used, an 80 per cent charge can be achieved in one hour. The batteries offer a driving range of around 120km to 160km (80-100 miles).
BMW will also offer an optional Range Extender called the REx, which allows the electric driving range to be increased. The REx comprises of a small displacement petrol engine that drives a generator which maintains the battery charge level and therefore extends the range of the electric motor. BMW says that to reduce fuel consumption, REx also features such functions as Automatic Start-Stop and other intelligent operating strategies.
The i3 is the smallest BMW model measuring 3,845mm long, 1,537mm wide and 2,011mm tall while riding on 2,570mm long wheelbase. It comes with four seats, wide-opening opposing "coach" doors, a rear boot capacity of around 200 liters and an additional smaller compartment in the front.
The slightly futuristic design of the exterior that shares many common styling cues with the i8 is expected to remain fairly unchanged on the production model. The interior, on the other hand, is purely conceptual and will most likely be redesigned for the showroom i3.

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Chevrolet and OnStar to Monitor Volt Drivers’ Charging Habits

General Motors and OnStar announced a new program that will be applied to the Chevrolet Voltand which will use the car’s built-in telematics system to send data from the vehicle to the power grid.
This will enable the carmaker to track the charging habits of the vehicle’s drivers so as to better manage the car’s energy supply.
“In contrast to other OEMs who are only talking about smart grid technology, we’re moving beyond research and development projects to a program in the real world,” said Nick Pudar, OnStar vice president of planning and business development.
“Through this pilot we will see real-time results on how intelligent energy management can maximize EV charging efficiency and minimize the electric bill for EV drivers.”
The program will begin in third quarter of 2011 and initially will not be available to customers. Instead, it will include hundreds of Volts leased by General Electric to assess their drivers’ charging behavior.
This gives data in real-world situations providing GM and OnStar with valuable information for the optimization of the ATOMS (Advanced Operations Management System) utility that monitors the program.
Once available to the public, the program will be optional for Volt customers. Those who choose the service will be offered discounts or other incentives to encourage them to charge their hybrids when overall electricity demand is at its lowest levels.

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Update: Toyota Will Sell RAV-4 EV to the General Public

Toyota has just issued a statement disputing a recent report from Reuters by saying that the upcoming all-electric RAV-4 will be available for sale to the general public as well.
The Reuters story, which CarsandTec also reported on, said that the RAV-4 EV would only be sold to fleet customers and car sharing programs, citing Geri Yoza, the National Business Planning Manager of Advanced Vehicle Marketing, as the source.




Here’s Toyota’s official statement:

“Recent reports have incorrectly stated that the 2012 RAV4 EV will only be marketed to fleet and car sharing programs. We’d like to set the record straight. The 2012 RAV4 EV will definitely be sold to the general public. We anticipate robust public interest in the RAV4 EV and are keen to inform consumers that their future vehicle options include a battery electric Toyota

The Japanese company added that unlike the RAV-4 EV, the upcoming pure-electric version of the Scion iQ, will be marketed to fleet and car sharing programs only.

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Nissan Raises 2012 Leaf Prices Between $2,420 and $3,530!

Well, that didn’t take long did it? Only a year after launch and while the Leaf is leading the eco-friendly sales race against GM’s Chevrolet Volt, Nissan today announced that it is lifting the base price of the 2012 model year version of its pure-electric hatchback between 7 and 11 percent, depending on the trim grade!
In particular, the entry-level 2012 Leaf SV is now priced at $35,200, or 7.38% more than the 2011MY’s $32,780 sticker. The higher grade Lead SL enters the 2012MY priced at $37,250, an increase of $3,530 or 11.3% more over the 2011MY.
Neither price includes an $850 destination and handling fee. Notably, US buyers can cut $7,500 off the sales price via a federal tax credit.
The monthly lease price for the 2012 Leaf has also been increased and now starts from $369, up from $349.
Nissan justified the price hike by saying that the 2012 model comes with additional standard equipment including quick charging and cold-weather features.
In Nissan’s own words, the 2012MY Leaf's added features include:

• DC Fast Charge capability standard on Nissan LEAF SL: The vast majority of MY11 consumers have opted for the DC fast charge port, which allows the vehicle to be charged at 480V – reducing charging time to under 30 minutes for charging the vehicle to 80 percent from a fully depleted state. As DC fast charge stations proliferate across the country, Nissan expects this feature to become even more popular. For 2012, fast-charging capability will be standard on the SL trim level.
• Cold weather features standard on Nissan LEAF: As the Nissan LEAF rolls out to U.S. markets with colder climates, cold weather features become standard equipment on all trim levels of the Nissan LEAF. These include a battery warmer, heated steering wheel, and heated seats in both the front and rear.

With the introduction of the 2012MY Leaf, the Japanese company is also expanding the availability of its all-electric car that will now be available for order in the Southeastern United States and Illinois.
“In the fall, orders from existing reservations and new reservations will begin in Connecticut, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York,” Nissan said in a statement.
“By the end of the year, Delaware, Indiana, Louisiana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island will be added as markets where the Nissan LEAF will be available for order,” the company added.

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Toyota RAV4 EV will NOT be Sold to the General Public

The pure electric version of the RAV4 will not be sold directly to the U.S. public when it arrives in the market in the first quarter if 2012 as originally planned, according to Geri Yoza, Toyota’s national business planning manager of advanced vehicle marketing.
Instead, the EV version of the Japanese company’s popular SUV will be leased only to fleet customers and car sharing programs.
According to Yoza, the RAV4 EV, which makes use of Tesla’s electric drivetrain, has been tested with 160 users and received positive feedback. Toyota said that while users charged the car more frequently (about 10 times a week) than anticipated, the cost of electricity was lower than expected, at about $150 for six weeks.
However, despite the fact that the electric RAV4 can be charged quickly, Toyota will not offer fast charging on any of its electric vehicles until the SAE determines a common standard for all outlets.
This is not the first generation of the RAV EV: the first was launched over 15 years ago, in 1996. It was the first vehicle in the world powered by nickel-metal hydride batteries, and it had a top speed of 78 mph (125 km/h) and a maximum range of 120 miles (190 km).

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